Donghai Wang

Donghai Wang

The U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office has awarded Donghai Wang, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, a $1.1 million grant to develop a new lithium-ion conductor for the protection of lithium metal used in next-generation battery technologies for electric vehicles.

Porous silicon manufactured in a bottom-up procedure can be used to generate hydrogen from water using solar energy, according to a team of Penn State mechanical engineers, who also see applications for batteries, biosensors and optical electronics as outlets for this new material.

We are the first U.S. university lab capable of fabricating a full-sized battery that would fit inside an electric or hybrid electric car, says Chao-Yang Wang, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State and the Center's co-director.

High energy density batteries that significantly reduce size and improve performance and cell life is the goal of the lithium-sulfur cell technology project led by Penn State and funded by the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The $5 million, three-year grant is part of the DOE's Advanced Vehicle Research and Development program, which aims to improving fuel efficiency of next generation vehicles.